Gharb Local Council has expressed its concern and that of its Councillors together with Gharb residents, on the recent developments, which appears that a picturesque public area destined for agricultural, touristic and leisure purposes, and where the Council had invested many resources and finances, will now be identified as an area for the manufacture of explosives.

In a statement today it said that, "despite the clear result of the referendum held in recent years by Gharb Local Council, and the fact that the Council used community funds to refurbish this area and change it into a primary area for leisure and appreciation of the environment by local residents and visitors and more accessible for farmers, it appears that the Planning Authority is still ongoing with the process to approve new fireworks factories to be built in addition to the two existing fireworks factories."

It continued by saying that "Gharb has already experienced firework factories tragedies in recent years with a number of deaths and also damages to third party properties located in the vicinity of both firework factories that exploded. These third party properties will decrease in value and have no guarantees that such eventualities won't occur again in the future."

The Council stated that "such development will lead public spaces intended for the general public to enjoy the unique beauty of Gozo, including the amount of residents' farmhouses that offers a unique experience of Gozo, to be compromised once and for all."

"This besides the fact that those visiting the San Dimitri Chapel, recreation area, and follow the country walk which the Council had invested upon, will now be risk areas and this is shown also by signs that indicate that the area is a dangerous one."

The Council pointed out that public streets will also be affected, "as they will have limited access to these zones due to incoming and outgoing of raw material related to explosives, material for storage, manufacture of explosives and also outgoing fireworks from narrow roads and roads leading to inhabited areas and the main square."

"This will put the lives of a number of farmers and that of their families working in the nearby fields in constant danger," said the Council. "There is a risk that these farmers will abandon their lands to the detriment of their family's livelihood and also that of the surrounding environment in general."

"The Council believes that this is to the detriment of the locality, it's citizens and tourists who visit Gharb as well as to Gozo in general," it said. "Therefore the Council is soliciting the Planning Authority and all the concerned Authorities to take all these issues in consideration when they receive any applications for considerations and evaluation of fireworks factories in the Gharb area."

The Gharb Local Council has appealed "to all environmental organisations and groups, agricultural cooperatives and associations, the hunters and trappers associations, organisations, Maltese and Gozitan agencies in the tourism and commercial sector landlords in the area, residents of Gharb and villages in the surroundings and all the Maltese and Gozitan general public to join with the Council in the cause so that no more permits will be issued for fireworks factories."

"This will ruinous, destroying this natural area, one of the few that remained open and accessible to the public."

Gharb Local Council concluded by saying that it "would like to also appeal to the higher authorities, to the Parliament to stop any process in this regard, so as to safeguard the lives of the public, the locality of Gharb and its residents, the priceless value of the locality and the historical architectural treasures such as the Chapel of San Dimitri and the undiscovered archaeological remains in the area with reference to several studies carried out in the same area, the accommodation businesses in the tourism market, part time and full time farmers in the area and the benefit of many families from private agriculture, peaceful life and recreational area."

"Gharb Local Council implores the Parliament to put a stop to the concentration of this type of manufacture that is a threat to the peace of the mind, safety and public access. The Council pleads the political parties, reassurance and public statements in this regard."

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